Need advice on trolling motor.

[yumasdad]

I also have a BLUEFIN 16. They are a pretty robust hull & are already on the hefty side-no a sleek hull design but very stable.

My biggest concern would be going to a 36 volt system would be the required 3 dedicated batteries for the front motor alone. Now a 36 volt will run a lot longer, draw a lot less amp so your run time will definitely increase but the added weight may negate any increase in speed the larger thrust motor provides.

I run a MOTORGUIDE SALTWATER series wireless 55lb thrust up front & a MOTORGUIDE 55lb VFD on the transom plus a 9.9 gas motor. This helps the boat draft shallower & allows me to fish the boat in all electric lakes for a full day on a set of batteries.

Light is right!

[Wilson]

This is my trolling motor

[yumasdad]

Wilson, How many books of GREEN STAMPS did that baby run ya?

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by yumasdad

Wilson, How many books of GREEN STAMPS did that baby run ya?

LOL
Bought it 1972 or 3, still have it and it still works.

[nsell]

Dear Sir,

I have a 16 foot Lund Rebel XL with a 60hp evinrude with a 80lb. thrust fortrex 24 volt system and it does a fantastic job propelling the boat. Remember more batteries will add weight.

[yumasdad]

Yes, I love my old BLUEFIN. It has been a work in progress since I rescued it, rebuilt & continue to refine it. It is getting closer to perfect for me & the Yuma dog to fish from!

[jimmythegreek]

I install electronics and have alot of experience with trolling motors, I currently run an Minnkota Ulterra 80# unit that isnt even avail to the public yet. There is a max on speed on 95% of hulls out there and 4mph is the ceiling. Adding thrust and voltage to a motor increases your run time and efficiency but NOT the speed. I have personally seen only 1 boat run 4.1mph with a motorguide 36v system with an aftermarket prop, most minnkotas will get you to 3.7 max. There rly isnt a need for a 36v system on smaller than a 17' V hull, 18' Vs and larger can benefit from a 36v as far as run time goes. On my 19' crestliner sportfish I could troll almost 7hrs continuously at 1.5mph before I had to turn up the speed to compensate for battery loss with an 80# terrova ipilot. The minnkotas use pulse width modulation which essentially is turning the motor on and off multiple times in a second, giving you almost 50% more run time, but can cause transducer interference. If you are having good results w a 55# thrust an 80# will be perfect for you. You also cut the amp hour draw in half when going to a 24v system, so right now you are drawing 1amp hour for every poiund of thrust, meaning you pull 55amps at full power, so with an 80# 24v system you will pull 40 amps at full power of 80# of thrust, thats why everyone pretty much uses 24v systems minimum. Another thing you can do is run 2 batteries in parallel and extend your runtime. I highly recommend the 80# minnkota terrova with ipilot, it will change the way you fish, and if you troll the ipilot link is the top of the line, lakemaster now has a chip for Northeast region. Remember the added cost of a 2-3 bank charger and the 2-3 batteries when making a choice on motors. 29 series deep cycle batteries are a minumum and 31sereis is what I recommend, batteries plus carries a nice duracell with 225amp hours RC for under 130 bucks. good luck